6 perks that improve the employee experience

According to a Gartner survey, only 13% of employees are satisfied with the working experience provided by their organization. Employee experience is one of the holistic aspects that can bring a host of benefits to both employees and employers. Taking steps to improve it can make an employee's journey more seamless and build a positive perception of your company. This can also create an upbeat work environment that employees love coming to every day. As a result, your workforce will better serve its customers. That's why every organization should take immediate steps to enhance the employee experience and cater to employee needs. One of the tangible ways to do so is by offering perks that make everyone's work lives easier and ensure each employee feels valued.

If you are looking to improve the employee experience by offering attractive perks, the following options can be great additions to your employee experience program:

• Flexible work culture

Flexibility is one of the major perks that millennial and Gen Z employees expect from their workplace, and about 43% of workers feel that flexibility allows them to achieve more productivity. When your company culture supports flexibility, your employees will strike a stronger balance between their personal and professional responsibilities. This allows them to work with lower levels of stress. As you start, find out the flexible arrangements that work best for your organization, and break free from the untrue mentality that flexibility leads to a loss in productivity. Encourage C-level leaders and managers to approach this with an open mindset, build trust, and set clear expectations for their workforce so that they can work independently. Check out this blog to understand how to adopt a flexible work culture. 

• Recognition program

Having a well-defined recognition program that acknowledges and appreciates your employees is a surefire way to keep them motivated and provide a satisfying working experience. This kind of program helps your employees know that their work is noticed and valued. Create a routine right after performance reviews where managers offer points and ratings to employees based on their efforts, achievements, and progress toward goals. Employees might then exchange these points for monetary bonuses, experiential rewards, and career development opportunities. Check out this blog to understand the different rewards that could be included in your next employee recognition program. 

• Employee wellness program

Improving employee wellness should be the cornerstone of every employee experience strategy. When you focus on improving the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of your employees, they'll be able to avoid burnout and combat stress. As a result, their work lives will become easier and happier. Before you start building your employee wellness program, gain feedback from your employees on what they would love to receive to improve their well-being. Healthcare benefits, fitness challenges, easy access to counseling, gym memberships, meditation, stress management practices, and parental counseling are just some of the aspects that go into a well-defined wellness program. Check out this blog to understand how to develop an employee wellness program. 

• Attractive leave benefits

Employee experience is all about providing employees with what they value. Time off is one such value for almost every employee, as it helps them focus on personal responsibilities and avoid overworking themselves. Build your employee time off program in a way that addresses every leave requirement, including sick leave, casual leave, bereavement leave, mental health leave, period leave, vacation leave, family and medical leave, maternity leave, and paternity leave. You may also choose to offer floating holidays that allow employees to decide when to take advantage of public holidays based on their needs. An unlimited paid time off policy is yet another employee benefit that you could try. Here's everything you need to know about unlimited time off. As always, remember to ensure that your leave benefits program complies with local labor laws.

• Child care benefits

Working parents are loaded with responsibilities, and managing endless chores can take a severe toll on their health. When you provide your employees with access to child care, it takes one of the biggest responsibilities off their plate and helps them work with fewer worries. To achieve this, you could collaborate with a local daycare center or even establish one on your office's campus. Employees could then either use the services free of cost or pay a discounted price. Some companies also offer dependent care assistance programs that allow employees to set aside a portion of their salary for their children. This amount is tax-free.

• Well-designed office space

The physical workspace is a major aspect of employee experience, as this environment greatly impacts an employee's ability to be creative and productive. Make sure the office is spacious, well-ventilated, and has good lighting. Bring in ergonomically designed chairs that provide proper posture support and help employees avoid back pain. You may also model the space in a way that best reflects your company culture. Provide spaces that help employees have water-cooler conversations and collaborate.

Wrapping up

Improving employee experience should be a top priority for every organization, as it can lower turnover rates, attract talented candidates, and improve productivity. Offering perks that can help employees work comfortably will go long way toward ensuring a great working experience!